Draft-coupling for cars.



PATENTED APR. 12, 1904,

No. 756,918.d

Y E. G. WASHBUBN. DRAFT COUPLING FOR CARS.

PPLIOATION HLM) SEPT s loba 3 SHEETS-SHEET E.

N0 MODEL.

11m-156,913; PATENTED APR.12,L1904. E; c. WASHBURN. DRAFT GOUPLING FURCARS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 8. 1903. H0 IODEL. 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

UNITED STATES Patented April 12, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

DRAFTI-COUPLI'NG FoR CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 756,918, dated Apri112,1904.

Application iilecl September 8, 1903. Serial No. 172,260. (No model.)

To all whom t Wtay concern:

' Cars; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and dse the same.

My present invention is especially directed to the improvement ofdraft-rigging for cars, engines, and tenders; but certain of thefeatures thereof are capable of a more general application.

l More specifically stated, the primary object of my invention is toprovidean improved frictional retarding device for relieving thedraft-springs of draft-riggings from the heavy impacts or blows whichare frequently delivered thereto under'- bumping and draft strains andespecially under the former.

To the above ends the invention consists of the novel devices andcombinations of devices hereinafter described, and defined in theclaims. Y

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein likecharacters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

-Figure l is a horizontal section through the frictional retardingdevice and a part of the draft-rigging, taken on the line fr w of Fig.2. Fig. 2 is a View, partly in side elevation and partly in verticalsection, on the line mi m2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a transverse verticalsection taken on the line m3 w3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a transversevertical section taken onthe line ne* m4 of Fig. 2, and Fig. 5 is adetail in elevation draft-box 3 and its bottom 4 are bulge-d, re-

, spectively, upward and downwardto formlongitudinal channels, in whichwork the prongs of the draftyoke or stirrup of the draft-bar 8.` Asshown, spacing-strips 9 are interposed between the ends of the yokes 7and the shouldered inner end of the said draft-bar, the said three partsbeing rigidly secured together by heavy rivets l0.

The spring-pressed follower 11, which engages the transverse innerportion of the yoke 7 and the inner pair of abutments or lugs 6, isapproximately cylindrical in form, but is provided with angularprojections 12, that loosely fit the rectangular guideways formed withinthe draft-box between the abutments or draftlugs 6, as best shown inEig. 4, by reference to which it will be noted that the lower members ofsaid projections l2 rest upon the side portions of the box-bottom 4. Theother follower is of quite complex form, being made up of the followingparts, to wit: a rectangular base member 13 and a pair of semicup-shapedmembers 14, which two members 14 taken to gethermake up a split ordivided cup-shaped casing that telescopes into and quite closely fitsthe interior of,the other cup-shaped follower 11. The base member 13 atits ends fits the rectangular guideway in the sides of the draft-box andis normally pressed against the forward abutments or draft-lugs 6 and,as shown, is formed with a centrally-located boss l5, that fits a recessin that end of the j draft-bar 8 against which said member 13 isnormally pressed.` In its rear or inner face and at its central portionthe said member 13 is formed with a transversely-extended' fulcrum seator depression 16, in which lare seated the fulcrum-lugs 17, formed oneon each of the case or cup sections 14. The fulcrum-lugs 17 lie closetogether and extend diametrically across the end of the said divided cupor case, A and just outward of the said lugs the said sections 14 areformed with rounded bearingsurfaces 18, that engage with the abuttingfiat surfaces of the base member V13. It will thus beseen that the cupor case sections 14 are so fulcrumed that "a forcebeing applied to theirouter portions or upper and lower portions some extent by a coiledspring 19-to wit,

the draft-spring of the draft-rigging-which spring, as shown, is ofcomplex form, being made up of concentrically-arranged sections. The twocup-like followers or members telescope under such close engagement thatleakage of air will be slow, except through the` opening left betweenthe sections 14, and to close this opening against the free passage ofair a Qpacking-strip isset into grooves formed in the adjacent headportions of the said members 14, and an annular packing 20 is set intotheperipheral portion thereof in line with said strip 20. In this waythe telescoping parts .are made to so closely fit and are so nearlyair-tight that they will have the effectV of producing a cushion by thecompression of air -confined within lthe same under-bumping A hand draftstrains.

Furthermore, this compression of confined air has the effect of throwingthe sections 14 into frictional contact with the member 11 under apressure which is'provportional to the draft or bumping strain. It istherefore evident that the confined air supplements the action of thespring and coperates both with the spring and the frictionally-engagingsurfaces to retard the movements of the draft-bar under both draft andbumping strains. By making the interior of the casing or follower 11flare slightly toward its openend an increased frictional contactbetween the same and the members 14 is afforded.

By reference to Fig. 4 it will be seen that the side walls of thefrictionally-engaging members 11 and 14 are thickened up or madeslightly crescent shape in cross-section. This construction is importantbecause of the fact that said parts wear most rapidly at these thickenedportions, and hence if not thus formed will in time wear away the wallsto such an extent that they would be materially weakened. It will befurther noted by reference particularly to Fig. 1 that the end-formingportions of the members 14are provided with semicircular hub portions21,which serve to hold the spring 19 in a central position.

From what has been said it will of course be understood that the devicedescribed is capable of many modifications within the scope of myinvention as herein set forth and claimed.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is as follows:

1. Africtional spring-retarding device, comprising a pair of telescopingmembers, with a spring compressed between them, one of the saidtelescoping members being split or divided, and having adjacent lugs,and a base member having a seat, receiving the said lugs,

substantially as described.

2. Africtional retarding device, comprising a pair of telescoping parts,one of which parts is split or divided and fulcrumed for contact withthe other member, and packings forming substantiallyYair-tight jointsbetween the sections of said divided member, and between said dividedmember and the cooperating frictional member, whereby the saidtelescoping members afford an air-cushion.

3. A frictional spring-retarding device, comprising a pair of cup-liketelescoping members, one of which has a radial movement, for frictionalengagement with the other member, and forms tight joints therewith,whereby an aircushion is afforded, and a spring inclosed within andpressed between the said telescoping members, substantially asdescribed.

4. The combination with the telescoping cupshaped members, one ofwhichns split or divided, and has adjacent fulcrum-lugs 17 of a basemember 13 having the seat 16 receiving said fulcrum-lugs 17, and acoiled spring contained within and compressed between the saidcup-shaped members, substantially as described.

'5. The combination with a draft-box having abutments, and a draft-barhaving a draftyoke, of a cup-shaped follower 11, having the angularprojections engageable with said draft-box and the inner abutmentsthereof, the divided or split cup-shaped frictional member 14telescoping into said member 11 and provided with the fulcrum-lugs 17,the base member 13 cooperating with the outer abutments of saiddraft-box, and having the seat 16 receiving said fulcrum-lugs 17, andthe spring compressed within said telescoping members 11 and 14 andpressing the sections of the latter into frictional engagement with theformer, the said members 11, 13 and 14 being embraced by the yoke ofsaid draft-bar, substantially as described.

In testimony whereofI aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDWIN C. WASHBURN.

Witnesses:

ELIZABETH H. KELIHER, F. D. MERCHANT.

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